Time flies and it's Thursday already! Today we've got awesome author M.A. Church blogging with us! She's here to tell us all about her latest story Faded Love in the "Carved in Flesh Anthology". Read on!
Carved in Flesh Anthology
The title of my story is Faded Love, which I think is perfect because scars fade, but
true love doesn’t. What attracted me to this anthology was the very fact it’s
based on scars. From my own personal experience I know that scars can affect
how a person looks at their self. I had back surgery twelve years ago, and have
a scar on my back. Back then I wore a two piece bathing suit and it was
noticeable. I actually had people stop me and ask about it. Granted, mostly it
was people who’d had back surgery, so they knew what the scar was from. But,
the scar drew attention, to some degree.
My story is about a top
model that’s in a car accident and ends up scarred… on his face, no less. He
isn’t horribly disfigured, but can you imagine what that would do to someone
who models? Ashley, the model in my story, makes his living from his looks and
does a damn good job at it. And in the blink of an eye, it’s all changed.
The Carved In Flesh anthology is going to be very interesting,
I think. I can’t wait to see the different stories! J
Carved
in Flesh- an anthology released September 14th
by Storm Moon Press
People often say that the true
perfection in the human form is in its imperfections. Scars are visceral
reminders of a person's past, a sign of an event that can never fade. Whether
it was gained in combat, a traumatic experience, or part of a ritual with a
lover, scars are the ultimate labels. Carved in Flesh features short
stories in which at least one character sports physical scars—visible to the
naked eye, and prominent enough to spark a conversation.
Faded
Love by M.A. Church
Excerpt:
“Will?” Ashley’s hand was gently held
and pulled down. Why did Will’s voice sound so funny, like he was hoarse?
“Will? What’s going on? Where am I? What’s on my face?”
“Listen to me. You’re in the hospital.”
“Hospital? Why the hell am I in the
hospital?” Straining, he was finally able to make out the pale walls, and smell
a scent he had always associated with hospitals: cleaners and sickness.
“You don’t remember… anything?” Will
bent over Ashley, still holding his hands. God, Will’s skin was so warm, and
his was so cold. “Tell me what you remember.”
“Was on my way home from that shoot. You
called. I was going to call you back… Will?” Ashley’s voice rose and cracked.
“Then, nothing until now. What—what… Will?”
One of Will’s strong hands managed to
loosen itself from Ashley’s death grip and brushed Ashley’s hair back from his
face. “You’re in the hospital. There was an accident, a bad accident. You were
hit on the way home two days ago.”
“Fuck me! Two days ago?” Ashley bit his
lip as pain spiked in his ribs. “How bad? Who hit me?”
“It was pretty bad. You have bruised
ribs from the impact with the steering wheel, your arm is bruised—not
broken—and more bruises over your body. I forgot the driver’s name. They hit
you on the passenger side, slammed you into a street light. Two people in the
other car died.”
“Died? Jesus.” Every time Ashley tried
to lift his hand to his face, Will stopped him. “What’s wrong with my vision?
Why can I only see out of one side?”
Gripping his hand, Will hesitated. “You
were struck so hard your head hit the driver side window.”
Ashley gripped Will’s hand. There was
more, he just knew it. What little he could make out of Will’s concerned face
told him that. “And? Tell me, dammit!”
“The window busted. There was glass
everywhere. Oh God, Ashley, I’m so sorry. You were cut. On your face… and—and…
there’s going to be a scar.”
“A scar?” Ashley whispered, and then his
voice gained in strength as horror stabbed at him. “A scar, on my face? My face?
No! Oh my God, no! How bad, Will? How fucking bad?”
Tears soaked Will’s voice. “From the
hair line to under your chin. Jesus, Ashley. I’m so sorry.”
The screams from Ashley’s room brought
most of the nursing staff at a dead run.
~~~
Keep in mind I picked that excerpt.
Storm Moon may use something else. :-)
Where to find me:
Twitter
@nomoretears00
